My North Star
by VictoriaVQ
Summary: The battle over the crystal is slowly but surely heading towards the end. Stella is badly injured and every nation has been left destroyed. Niflheim now defeated, the world needs to start repairing its battle wounds. Noctis and his friends try and recreate their once promising future. Noctis and Stella begin developing feelings for each other Ongoing NxS Rated T for future chapters
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is the first Final Fantasy Versus XIII/FFXV I've ever written! I somewhat feel accomplished! Woohoo! :D Please review and/or favorite. 3 Reviews and I'll update and add more! **

My North Star  
Prologue  
[Inspired by Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful"]

"Stella!"

Noctis ran forward, desperate to clasp the young injured princess. He cursed to himself as he approached her. She clutched her abdomen tightly, trying to suppress the wound from pooling out all her blood. He took hold of her back, balancing her backwards and lowering her weak body to the ground. Her body lay on his crouching legs.

"Stella…" he breathed. He felt hot tears begin to fill his eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. He never wanted this to happen. And why, why of all people would the woman he loved become a victim of such cataclysmic war? Whether or not she was of Tenebraen descent, he still loved her. Love, in his eyes, went further than nationality and status. It was an action of adoration and protection. And he had failed to protect her.

He clutched her free hand tightly, letting the tears fall freely from his eyes. He no longer cared. For his entire life, he had been a shy person, concealing his true self through a façade of a stronger, cooler looking hero. But he wasn't any of that. Not then, not soon, not at this very moment. He let his true self show and he was worried—terrified—of losing his only love. He had already lost his father and that had been a dagger through his heart. But if he were to lose Stella, his only light, his only source of peace, his one and only long lost soul mate…he would surely die. He would rather die than live a life without her.

Stella looked wearily at Noctis, feeling the warm tears fall on her bloodstained cheeks. She smiled and tightened her hold on his hand. The prince to Stella looked so childish and cute when he showed his true self, especially when he cried. His current face would make anyone want to comfort the poor boy, give him something to cling on, to believe in again. "Noct…" she whispered. Her voice was sullen and raspy, but Noctis clearly heard her through his teary state.

"Oh, Stella—I'm so sorry. I promised…promised to protect you but I couldn't. I promised you I'd be at your side no matter what, but I failed to do so. And now…now you're hurt…" He hadn't had a chance to properly look at her wound, but he looked down at her stomach and saw that the wound was deep. It looked as though a long, wide blade had cut through her, but from the looks of the battle, she had fought valiantly and won, but not without serious injuries. The blood continued to seep through the wound, now staining his leather pants that comforted Stella's back.

He let go of her hand and put it on the one she used to press against the wound. He added his hand to try and reduce the blood flow. Hopefully it would be enough time for Ignis and Cor to come with the medical equipment.

Stella looked lovingly into Noctis's eyes, her hope still shining brightly within her violet orbs. "Noct…" she whispered. She rested her head close to his chest. "Thank you for worrying about me. It makes me happy that you thought of me while I constantly thought of you." She coughed and hacked for a moment, a new stream of blood lining her jaw line.

Seeing this, Noctis held Stella closer and wiped away the blood with this glove. To see her in so much pain gnawed his insides. Anger, hatred, fear, anxiety—everything pooled into one ball of confused emotions that he was afraid would break. And the only one who could help him contain it was the woman dying in his arms.

"Stella, please don't talk. They will be coming soon. Please, Stella, hang on", he pleaded, bringing more tears down his face.

Stella laughed a little, a smile blooming on her soft pink lips. "Okay", she replied. The two stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. She in his arms, clinging to dear life but was at the same time content with her fate. She had helped Noctis save his kingdom, save the last crystal, save the man she loved. She could die happily right at this very moment. Noctis, worried endlessly, dreaded each and every passing moment. Each minute was another sixty seconds taken away from Stella's remaining life. He simply prayed it would last long enough for her to be saved.

No longer than ten minutes later, two men appeared—a suited young male with glasses holding a black case and next to him a muscular, intimidating man who looked well shaven but strict and serious. He carried what looked like oxygen tanks. They quickly sprinted towards Noctis and Stella, and without a word, quickly got to work. They rested Stella on a fold-out stretcher. Ignis took out a handkerchief and sprayed a clear liquid onto the cloth before putting it up to Stella's nostrils. Noctis watched as Stella's eyes quickly succumbed to the chemical, immediately put to sleep senselessly. Meanwhile, Cor worked on her wound. He had been in battle many times and a wound like this was quite common amongst his men. The only problem was did they have enough time to save her?

Noctis helped as much as he could by retrieving some medical tools for Cor and adjusting the oxygen mask placed on Stella's breathing organs. He watched and held onto Stella's bloody hand, hoping that the goddess Etro would grant Stella the rest of her life.

It felt like forever once the two men had finished. Stella's wounds had been slathered in healing ointment and heavily wrapped in bandages. Noctis and Cor took hold of the stretcher while Ignis took hold of the equipment. They headed back to the Caelum Palace, or what was left of it.


	2. Chapter One - Resurfacing

My North Star – Chapter One [Resurfacing]  
_Savin' Me by Nickelback_

"Noctis, just stop will you?"

Without a second thought, a motorcycle glove covered hand hit the marble wall with a loud khom! leaving a fist sized hole and multiple cracks in the fine décor. Sharp breaths were drawn from the owner of the destructive hand, his chest heaving up and down in rapid movement. Oh how Noctis wish he could calm down, get his mind straight like his friends were trying to suggest to him, but with so many thoughts running through his mind, especially that of a certain princess, he felt as though the world had thrown him in a pit of darkness where escape was inevitable. He turned around and leaned his back against the wall, sliding down until he sat parallel to the ground. With a bent knee and propped hand, he closed his eyes and let the tears fall from his eyes.

The others looked at him with widened eyes. It was their first time seeing the prince cry. So much had happened in such little time and throughout the entire ordeal, not a single happening shattered the powerful, steadfast determination the prince exuded. Now looking at the young prince, it was hard to believe he looked so helpless.

[|]

I don't remember how long I was asleep, but when I awoke, I found myself in a semi darkened room surrounded by gunmetal tinted walls that connected to a very high ceiling. In the dark it would be very hard to see any detail on the walls and frames, but the glass window, also hugely proportioned to the room, was covered with sheer blue material, so most of the light could seep through. Simple, yet sharp and elegant designs adorned the framework, shining dark silver against the navy colored painted walls. The crowning that stretched at the base and ceiling were carefully carved to form repeated cubes and in between each one was a midnight colored orb. In a way, the room—although with the dark colors—felt somewhat cozy, almost welcoming.

I turned my attention to the bed I slept on. From the enormous size I guessed it was a king sized bed. She sheets were simple navy fabric, probably a mixture of silk and wool from the feel of it. The material wasn't too soft and wasn't too stiff—the perfect amount of comfort. The frame of the bed was made of mahogany wood, polished to its highest shine and smooth. It was so different from what I lived in back in Tenebrae. My bed wasn't made of this kind of material. Rather, it was soft blush colored silk adorned with the finest lace at the edges of the pillows. The walls were painted a gentle green—I had a liking for the color green, as it reminded me of nature and its beauty. Paintings, portraits, abstracts and surreal objects filled the walls. I sometimes looked at my bedroom as more of a museum than a place to sleep.

As I took my attention away from the room's details, I tried to remember what had brought me here. A sharp pain ran through my body as I tried to put my upper body into a sitting position. If anyone had been watching me, which no one was, they would have seen the pain that my face contorted. It was probably the most painful physical feeling I have ever had in my life. It directly came from my abdomen. I then remembered the sword. The enemy running towards me, all that blood spilling. Then heavy breathing and suddenly I saw Noctis…

Noctis!

I jumped remembering him. At the same time more pain came from the wound. My hand held the painful spot. Hmm…I don't remember bandages being there before.

How long had I really been out? The last thing I remember before passing out was talking with Noctis. I think I had fallen and he helped me into a sitting position. We had talked—about what I don't remember. And then someone with glasses came and put something to my nose. Was it Ignis who used the chloroform to knock me out? And who bandaged me? Ugh, I had so many questions swirling in my head and the pangs of pain weren't helping. I decided to lay down on the bed and let sleep take me away again, into the unknown abyss until something would wake me up again.

[|]

_Unknown Flashback_

Harmonious humming could be heard as he entered the luscious field of wildflowers. The vegetation reached as high as his ten year old knee, slightly brushing his exposed calves, tickling it. The Caelum family had decided to take a weeklong vacation from the stressful environment of Lucis. Regis, the King of Lucis had been trying to make fitful peace treaties to succumb the ever growing tension over the world's crystals. During the time, Lucis wasn't the only country in possession of a crystal. In fact, every nation had possessed a good handful of at least five crystals. However, with the rising battles that required extraneous measures, little by little the crystals were wasting away.

Seeing that the stress was bringing down the mood of his wife and ten year old son, Regis decided a trip to the country side would be a power booster for his gloomy stated family. His wife Gemma had been suffering from an unknown disease since five years ago. She had sought multiple doctors and underwent uncountable amounts of treatments. Her results would always be the same—progressive improvement, then dwindling health, her condition worsening every time the disease got the upper hand. Noctis knew something was wrong with his mother and tried to help her with anything he asked her to do. Regis and Gemma loved Noctis, "mea lux in tenebris", they always claimed. Regis taught Noctis all that he could, from political argumentations to fighting using his special ability. Although he had yet to master the "curse given by the goddess and her crystal", Noctis displayed great ability in sword fighting. A few more years and he would be able to master it all.

Noctis ran through the flowerbeds towards the humming sound. Using his pale hands he pushed the oversized stalks aside, trying not to get any pollen in his eyes. It was a harder task than he thought, running through a field of flowers. If you weren't careful, hidden roots on the ground would trip any running feet and send them tumbling to the ground—if unluckly, into a pile of nature's unpleasant stink dunes. Noctis remembered with a smile as he continued through the pollinated vegetation of when he and Prompto used to play tag back in the Caelum gardens. The family had a couple pet chocobos and one of them had a nasty stomach ache that day. As Noctis was trying his best to run away from Prompto who was surprisingly quick on his feet, he hadn't noticed the tiny rock that stuck from the ground.

With his sharp little eyes, Noctis easily dodged the rock with little effort. Prompto, on the other hand, barely noticed it and stepping on the rock sent him sliding across the ground into the chocobo hut and into a large pile of waste belonging to the sick bird. He ended up having a nasty cold and fever for the next three days.

Playing with Prompto was always fun. Yeah, he caused a lot of trouble, but he was cunning, daring and darn right playful—everything Noctis couldn't be. Apparently being the prince of an ever developing nation proved to be very enduring and not fun at all; boring most of the time.

Once out in the clearing where not so many tall flowers stood, he spotted his mother sitting at the edge of the large lake feeding bread to a family of ducks. Noctis ran towards his mother and wrapped his arms around her with a childish grin.

"What are you doing Mommy?" he asked. He hadn't been able to go outside the palace grounds very much and since it was a city area, not too many species of nature lived there. He sat down next to his mother and glanced at his mother who starred at the lake. She had shimmering topaz eyes adorned with porcelain skin. Her navy silk hair was tied in a braid and swept to one side, showing the beauty of her face. Today she wore a simple yellow dress that had small cuff sleeves.

She looked back at her son and with a gentle hand, swept aside some dark strands of hair that covered his face. The action made him squirm closer to his mother as she wrapped her arms around his small body.

"Do you see those ducks over there Noct?" Noctis nodded as he watched one of the baby ducklings eat a piece of bread. "I want our family, our kingdom and the world to be as peaceful as them. I want you to be happy too, Noctis."

"I am happy though Mommy", Noctis instantly replied.

"But are you at peace, my son?"

Noctis couldn't understand what his mother was trying to say. So all he did was nod back and look at the ducks and the lake with Gemma, wrapped in her warm arms. It didn't take him long to figure out the answer to her question.

A month later, Gemma's battle against the unknown disease finally came to an end. On Noctis's eleventh birthday, she fell ill once more and died in bed next to her son. The day before Noctis wanted to make his mother feel better about his eleventh birthday celebration by sleeping next to her in the master bedroom. Regis had left them be, deciding to sleep in Noctis's room. She wrapped her arms around his small body, resting her chin on his temple and sung him a song before sleeping. Once sleep commenced upon the Caelum palace, she took one last breath before slipping into darkness.

The young prince was going to sneak into the kitchen to cook something for his ill mother when he noticed the coldness exuding from her body. He feared the worst and ran to find his father. An hour later, she was confirmed dead.

Now Noctis understood what his mother asked the other day at the lake.

_But are you at peace, my son?_

The question lingered in his mind since the day she died, there pricking at his mind whenever he had nothing else to concentrate on. Night after night the image of her dying next to him haunted his dreams, plaguing the young prince in cold sweat and unforgiving guilt. During some nights, tears would spill from his eyes as he hugged his knees tightly, greatly missing the warm arms that used to wrap around his body when he had a bad dream, when he wasn't feeling very well, when he just wanted someone to hug him.

But he knew, they were gone and his mother would never come back.

Yet like a stroke of luck given by the goddess Etro, another pair of warm arms had entered his life. They met abruptly at a political party, his cerulean eyes meeting around, violet ones adorned on a face that looked like expensive china and soft as silk, lips plump as a an angel's touch. Her blonde hair swept in different directions and if she had put it in a braid and swept it to the side, the young prince swore she would have been an exact replica of his deceased mother.

In some spark of fate, they were bound to meet and travel together, although both were brought to clash against each other. They fought, wounded, pleaded, begged and did all they could to protect the nations that they loved and their way of life that they cherished.

When Noctis had been wounded against the army of Niflheim that he alone took on, she had been there to fight by his side and protect his Highness. When he fell on his knees, beaten, battered and barely conscious, she wrapped her arms around his limp body, holding on to him tightly. Oh how much he missed that feeling, the warmth that enveloped his body and made his heart ache with happiness. It felt as though his mother was right there with him, whispering strengthening words into his heart and easing his pain every moment he was within her grasp. She was his reason for fighting and Stella was now his new additional resolve.

The rest of the war was a blur, but he distinctively remembered moments of continuous fighting, excruciating amounts of strategy renewal, heated passion and wishful promises.  
In the end, they realized their goals were exactly the same and join forces, ending the destructive rule of Niflheim and salvaging the last crystal. But at the same time, the warm hands that had once reentered his life were now at risk of being lost all over again. Noctis couldn't bear the reality of losing yet another woman he loved dearly, having that sanity that put him at ease, those soft, delicate words that escaped luscious lips, the sincerity and strength he felt from her heart. To lose Stella was like losing his mother all over again, but much, much worse. This time, if his throne of hope were to be shattered, Noctis would surely lose himself to the darkening being that resides in him. The light inside will no longer flicker and everything that his father, mother, lover and friends had tried to mold him into will become nothing more than an empty, lifeless shell.

A/N:

Hello everyone!

Thank you for being so very patient with my writing lately, especially that of MNS!

I wasn't planning on uploading anything today, or rather within the next week or so, but I looked at my Prologue on dA and saw all your comments and that made my day! I was also suffering from a horrendous head ache this morning, so your comments and me finishing up Chapter One kicked my head ache out of my head and into creative writing mode! So thank you for that!

I did not intend Chapter One to be so long...I typed it in Microsoft Word and it ended up being about 5 pages...which is pretty long...

Hopefully the second part of Ch. 1 wasn't too confusing for you to figure out who it was! And the third part of Ch. 1 isn't really a flashback...well, it sort of is, but jumps to and mixes with futuristic events. Sorry if that confused anybody!

Again, please write a review for Chapter One and I will upload Chapter Two! Thanks everyone for your lovely comments and favorite-ing! Cheers!


	3. Chapter Two - Rekindling the Lost 1

**My North Star**

**Chapter 2 - Rekindling the Lost Part I**

* * *

Stella woke up once again, this time feeling much better. Although the pangs of pain were still there, they had reduced some. She tested out her mobility, first trying to stand up from the bed. Her legs shook and almost gave out, but quick to react, she grasped onto the bed frame. Several moments passed as the Tenebraen princess calmed her mind, allowing her body to take hold of the ability to walk, which she hadn't been able to do for several days having been bedridden.

C'mon Stella, she told herself, breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. 'Atta girl.

Finally confident that she could move, she slowly took small steps. She felt the cold hard wood beneath her feet, cool to the touch since there hadn't been anyone to walk on it for a while.

You're doing good Stella. Keep going.

She continued to walk until she reached the rear side of the bed, still grasping whatever she could-the bed itself, the framing. Stella let out a content sigh, somewhat happy to know she could still move her legs without too much trouble. But if it came to running, she doubt that be anywhere in her ability as long as she was still injured.

While Stella had been asleep, Ignis and Cor had came in and looked at her wounds before redressing the bandages. They noticed how angelic her face looked as she slept, the small smile her blush pink lips curved into and the fluttering eyelashes protruding her round eyes-it were as if she were the one at peace in a sea of chaos. She was beautiful, no doubt, but she was also strong in strength, internally and physically. The two only hoped that they wouldn't accidentally wake her up and get pummeled by the princess for what she might wrongly accuse as "nightly molesting".

Stella knew her bandages were always changed. By knowledge, leaving bandages on a would slathered with ointments on healing skin would do the opposite of healing. Rather, the skin would begin rotting instead. She didn't know how or who had done it (though internally she hoped it had been Noctis, but she doubted it) but she couldn't have thanked them nonetheless. Just one day and the ointments mixed with the natural oils her body secreted to try and heal the wound left an awful stench on her. Only to make it worse, she hadn't bathed in over four days.

Breathing deeply, the light haired blonde decided to make her way to the door, which was about ten meters away from where she stood. Why did royal rooms have to be so huge? Again, she took slow steps, but she tensed up now that she was walking without any support. The very idea that she was doing this made her worry to no end. What if she fell? Would her wounds reopen? Fracture an ankle, her knee, sprain an arm or accidentally hit her head on the hard flooring? They seemed almost unlikely, but nothing impossible goes by in this world. She knew that quite well.

Now a meter away from the door, she started making her way a bit more quickly. As she did, her legs tired and gave out. She would have had a nasty mark on her face if her body slammed onto the flooring beneath. But she didn't.

Just before she made a stark landing on solid wood, a pair of arms grasped her and embraced Stella.

"You shouldn't be moving in the condition you're in Stella", a male's voice scolded with a bit of sarcasm. She could feel him smiling although her face eyed the ground. A shade of pink erupted on her fair skin.

"I'm perfectly fine, Noct", she replied with an smirk.

The Lucis prince aided her in standing. She wrapped one arm around his neck and he put his arm around her waist. Together, they made their way to the others.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I had been focusing on my other fan fiction lately and went back to drawing, which I haven't done in a very long time. I have some time today, so I'll upload the second part of this chapter in a couple more hours.**_

_**Comment, review, favorite-do your awesomeness my readers! And tell me, what do you want to see in the next chapter? Want some Noctella-ness? Or maybe some action scenes? Let me know in your feedback(s)!**_


	4. Chapter Three - Rekindling the Lost 2

_**A/N: Thank you for new reviews, follows and favorites! Greatly appreciated! **_

_**You guys said you wanted a longer chapter. Well, I introduce you Chapter 3 of My North Star! Contains a Noctella scene (thanks KokoLockhart for suggestion :3) and a little mystery behind the crystals of Lucis. I found out some more info about the actual characters today, so I'll be incorporating more of that info within the future chapters. One of those new pieces of information are here in this chapter!**_

_**Noctis-Cookie for anyone who can guess what it is!**_

_****__**This is my first time doing a girlxguy scene, so let me know what you think! And please don't be too harsh about it. ):3**_

_**Cheers and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**My North Star**

**Chapter 3 - Rekindling the Lost Part II**

* * *

"Ugh, how many more of these crates do we have to carry?" a certain golden blonde rambled.

"Get a hold of yourself, Prompto. You've been carrying all the light ones, so you should be thankful." A muscular, tattoo-covered arm elbow jabbed the blonde in the arm, almost causing him to drop the crate full of supplies.

"Hey, watch it bulldozer!"

"Heh, it's not my fault you're so scrawny."

"Oh yeah? At least my mother didn't name me after a _beautiful_ flower, _Gladiolus_", Prompto cocked.

"Don't you bring my mother into this conversation!" the muscled young male fired back.

Before a heated argument could take a foothold, Cor and Ignis interrupted and scolded them both with a hinge of annoyance and anger in their voices.

"Would you two stop?" Ignis began.

"We are still in the middle of officially ending the war up and you two are acting like care-free children", Cor interjected. He glared at them.

"Compose yourselves."

Ignis adjusted his glasses before disappearing into the storage room alongside Cor to get out more crates.

The two silenced themselves momentarily. Prompto, being Prompto, muttered to himself a little more loudly than he should have, "_You guys are acting like five-year-olds. Compose yourselves._ I can '_compose'_ myself, thank you very much. It's not like you're my mom, Mr. General. And what's up with four eyes, suddenly agreeing with the guy who takes the orders of the King like they're sacred words from Etro?"

"Prompto", Gladiolus sighed, "just keep working. If we keep our pace at a good level, we'll get all this done by sundown. We can't afford to keep acting like this." He went back into the storage room, rhythmically passing Ingis who had his arms full.

Rolling his eyes and blowing a puff of air towards his dangling blonde hair, he put down his portion of the crates and headed after Gladiolus.

'I wonder how Noct is doing at his end...'

* * *

Two royalties, linked arm to arm, shoulder to shoulder, one supporting the other, made their way down the elongated hallway of the broken down Caelum Palace. Being the hiding place of the last crystal, the Palace had withstood constant bombardment from blastings, gunfire and a downpour of other attacks. The Palace's foundation was still in tact to Noctis's surprise. Any regular building, like the ones surrounding the Caelum Palace had become completely unrecognizable, if not entirely obliterated. The once humble roads of Lucis had turned into a vicious battlefield of destruction to no end. Now without a stable government or ruling power, people would run around wild for sure, trying to scavenge what they could to survive, even if it meant stealing and killing. Noctis couldn't afford to let this happen. He won't let his family's long time dream of a safe haven for all Lucis citizens to become a wasteland for the damned and to-be damned.

Stella moaned in pain, a sharp pang suddenly hitting her straight on her midsection. Her body buckled and her legs gave out once more. She stumbled slightly, but since Noctis was beside her, he held onto her limp body tightly.

"Why don't we rest for a little bit", he suggested. His cerulean eyes were filled with worry and what Stella noted to be guilt.

He lowered her to the ground, resting her back against the bloody red velvet colored marble wall. "Thanks Noctis", she breathed. Her breath was beginning to grow short, obvious signs of exhaustion.

'I knew moving would be too much of a task for her', Noctis thought to himself. 'Geez, I'm so stupid for listening to Prompto.' He sat down next to her and rested his head against the wall. The ceiling had been cracked and partially destroyed, revealing the hidden pipework and multitudes of multicolored wires. Water had been leaking from one of the pipes, dripping onto the flooring with a rhythmic plop, plop, plop sound. Quietness surrounded them, enlightened in the semi-dark corridor. Only the sound of dripping water and their breathing could be heard.

With tired eyes, Stella closed her purple orbs to the world, submitting into the darkness and rested her head on Noctis's shoulder. It was broad, no doubt, but at the same time somewhat soft, like a hard pillow. However, the Tenebraen princess didn't mind. She knew internally the Caelum prince was as soft as jelly. Noctis tensed, but knowing it was Stella on his shoulder, he relaxed himself. He had been on edge lately, worrying about her, thinking of the next step to take to reform the situation the entire nation was in while at the same time battling with his inner demons. The death of his father still haunted him. It had been three grueling weeks since his passing. He had died the same day his mother did nine years ago.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head on top of Stella's. If anyone had been looking at them, the two could have easily been mistaken as siblings-a younger sister and an older brother. And if anyone knew them even better internally-lovers.

Then Stella asked Noctis something peculiar. "Do you have a razor blade on you?"

He lifted his head and looked at her on his shoulder. "I don't have one on me right now. Why?"

That was when Stella lifted her head. She peered around the empty corridor, searching for something to use. When she found it, she pointed to the other side of the hallway and told Noctis, "Over there. Hand me one of the shards."

The prince looked over at her with peculiar eyes, but her eyes were determined and she persisted. He followed, walking to the part of the marble wall that had been nearly blown to bits. On the ground lay broken pieces of marble, metal and other materials from the ceiling and walls, including several sharp shards of the pieces. He picked up one and motioned back to Stella.

"This one?"

"No, the one to your right, with the back diamond on it!"

"This?"

"Yeah. Bring it here."

"How can you see so far?"

She smirked. "That's why I'm a princess."

Noctis scoffed. "And injured."

He kneeled in front of her and held out the shard piece. Stella reached up to take the sharp marble but Noctis pulled his arm away quickly, holding it up and out of reach like a mean older brother taking the snack of a younger sibling.

"Give it to me, Noct." Her voice was straight and demanding.

"First tell me what you're up to." He was concerned. Was she planning on injuring herself? For what reason?

"I want to show you something." She gave out a pleading hand, but still Noctis refused. She sighed and continued. "Thank you for saving me. I don't remember much after I fought that warlord general from Niflheim, but I remember you being at my side."

"No", he said. His solemnly looked at her and again, she saw the guilt that lingered in those cerulean orbs. "I...I promised to protect you, to defend you with my life. And I betrayed my words." His voiced the last couple words in such a whisperous tone it was barely audible, even in the midst of the quiet hallway. His façade broke once again as the prince stood on his knees, shoulder slumped with tears slowly streaming down his face.

Stella couldn't take the sight of a crying Noctis. With a gentle hand, she clasped his face gently. He moved his gaze from the dirty marble to her eyes, filled with something he would never bestow upon himself-forgiveness.

Reaching up with his left arm, he squeezed his left hand on her gentle one. They stayed in that position for several moments, listening to their breathing rhythms and the beating of their healthy hearts. Although silence and darkness surrounded the two, the atmosphere was lukewarm yet somewhat welcoming.

After several passing moments, the Tenebraen princess and Caelum prince began to inch closer to each other. Slowly, as if pulled by a hidden force, the two lovers were merely a few centimeters away, face to face. They closed their eyes and gave into the moment, locking their lips together. It was soft and slow, as if to savor the moment, afraid if they went too fast it would all be taken away as quickly. He dropped the shard and brought up both his hands to her face, deepening the kiss. Stella couldn't have asked for any better.

Almost as if a little too eager, Stella started to suck on his lower lip, asking for entry. The young prince, so into the moment endowed her with a small moan of pleasure. The princess never thought she would be doing anything close to this, having been raised in such a strict household of doing rightful duties and following protocol and morale. This was so unlike her, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. The taste of Noctis was sweet and she could feel his nervousness through their deepening kiss. She persisted and moments later, her entire tongue was inside of his cavity, exploring every inch of it.

For some reason, it felt weird that Stella was being the dominate one here. But it made sense, somewhat-to Noctis that is. Stella had always been the strong one, knowing what she wanted, inside her heart and could act upon it until the ordeal was completed to the end. Him? He had a shy demeanor and she knew that.

He didn't want to get involved in any of this traditional royalty routines, the so called "ways of the Caelum ruler" his father always blabbered about. Since the death of his mother, he felt detached from his duties as the prince of Lucis. His mother had been there to guide him every step of the moment, there to give him an answer to what he asked. But his father was different. He was respectable-that he was certain of. But he was strict and believed in the rightful duties as the King of Lucis to follow the age long traditions bestowed from his predecessors. However, since Gemma's death, he too had slightly changed. He wasn't as warm as he used to be and sometimes barely saw Noctis for several days straight. Yet Noctis still loved him despite his distance, because be had no one else to relate to. There were his friends, but they couldn't compare to his parents. Not even Gladiolus whom he considers to be even closer than a brother. (A/N: brotherhood, not yaoi :P)

After meeting the beauty that he was lovingly kissing this very moment, he knew he had found that piece to fill the aching hole in his heart again. She was the light in his growing darkness and pulled him out of the devil's grasp. She was his savior, his lost soulmate.

Gaining a bit more confidence and slightly annoyed by the fact that she was exploring his mouth instead of the other way around, Noctis fought with her tongue for dominance.

The battle was even harder than he expected. 'She's strong', he thought to himself. But he had to be stronger, to protect her.

Eventually, she gave out and surrendered to him. It was his turn to get a taste of her.

They stayed that way for about a good ten long minutes. For brief moments they would crack their eyes open and look at each other-his shimmering cerulean to her shining pearly violets. Tints of pink began to taint their cheeks, and the heat around them began to rise one degree every passing minute, but no matter. They were too lost in the moment to care or take notice. Nothing but them mattered at the moment. The world around became a blur and the only thing in the world for them to cling onto, the way to continue hoping, to keep their insanity at bay and move forward in their dwindling destructive societies of war and hate were each other.

Due to the lack of oxygen, the two roughly parted lips, breathing sharply. Heated breath escaped their mouths. With passion in their eyes, the two lovers stared at the other's eyes, mesmerized by the other's sight, indulging every single detail the other had to offer.

'He is so strong, but he doesn't know it', Stella thought to himself. 'You will bring life to this crumbling country and lead it to peace. I will always be here by your side, my Prince.'

'You are my light, my new reason for living. Promise me you'll stay by my side for all eternity, in death and beyond. I want to make all your dreams a reality and recreate the peace and prosperity we once had. I want to be your Knight in Shining Armor, your protector and your lover. I will never leave you, my beautiful Princess.'

Together, they whispered to each other the three words they had hoped to finally hear.

"I love you."

Noctis leaned in and placed his forehead on hers, their noses slightly brushing each other. They inhaled the other's scent, intoxicated by their smell and touch. Everything about the other was mesmerizing, unique, extraordinary. The soulmates a had finally found "the one".

Suddenly Stella giggled, causing Noctis to crease his forehead a little. "You know, you look adorable when you cry, Noct." A shade of deep pink blossomed on his palish cheeks, as she wiped away the dried stream of tears off of his dirt covered face.

"I-It's not funny, Stella!" He turned his head the other way, not wanting to embarrass himself even more in front of the Tenebraen princess. Yeah, he was one _hell_ of a prince.

"Now can I have the shard?"

Noctis looked around and found it. He picked it up and handed it to her. What she did with it next almost made him faint.

She took the sharp edge of the marble shard and cut at a bulge on the skin of her wrist. It was a small lump and as she cut, a thin line of crimson trickled down her arm.

"Stella...what are you...", he began to question. He nearly grabbed the shard when she threw it aside and squeezed the opening of the small wound. Suddenly, something blue appeared from the wound. A gem.

The Tenebraen princess hissed as the little crystal piece came out of her skin where she had hidden it. With quivering fingers, she removed the piece and placed it on the fabric of her loose pants. Noctis, although still shocked, ripped off part of his navy blue shirt and tied it around her bleeding wrist. Meanwhile, he stared at the crystal piece, then at her. Then something sparked in his mind.

"Is...Is that..."

"Yeah", she managed to say. It sounded more like a squeak, but she couldn't help it from the pain. "Remember the necklace you gave to me, when we met again at the Lucis border?"

Noctis nodded. He remembered clearly. It was when they had to part ways. By that time, Niflheim was beginning to weaken. The Tenebraen and Lucian armies decided to split and surround the enemy, giving them no way out and hoping it would force them to surrender. The night the generals met, Noctis and Stella had been present. They went over the plan, trying to see which division would take which areas and so forth. Before leaving, Noctis had given Stella a necklace with a small, sparkling sapphire gem in the middle. It had belonged to his mother.

"In my sleep, I thought of everything that had happened before you brought me here. It's strange really, how you were able to come and save me the moment you did. I mean, you were on the west side of the kingdom while I was on the eastern border. We were separated by several hundred miles. Yet, you were right there when I was about to collapse."

'Was it coincidence?' Noctis asked himself.

As if reading his mind, Stella answered, "It isn't coincidence that it happened." She looked at the crystal piece sitting on her lap, gleaming lightly in the semi dark atmosphere. "I embedded this crystal into my skin before we reached the west point, afraid someone would steal it. When I fought against that general, I felt a strange pulse radiating from the crystal and when I looked down, it was glowing." She swallowed slightly nervous before asking Noctis, "Did you see the light?"

Noctis tried recalling the events of that day. "I didn't see the light that day. But, I had this feeling that something terrible would arise. Then I felt a pulsing feeling too, except it was coming from my ring..." he confessed, "...the ring my father gave to me. It's the same crystal."

Stella examined the ring. Its elegant design was unique and true to his words, it was the same kind of crystal.

"H-He also told me..." Noctis began. He made a face, looking as if someone had caught him red handed. "...this ring would protect the ones I love the most. And my mother's necklace...it has the same power..."

They stayed silent, contemplating deeply on the information of these two precious items that now seemed to have more value than money and beauty. Was it connected to the crystal? If so, was it a link to Etro, to the goddess herself?

"Your father...Regis...how did he know about this?"

Noctis shook his head. "I don't know. Family legends maybe? If it's true..."

"It could be a message from Etro. If these crystals are from the last one that you possess..."

Again, silence commenced upon the two lovers, filling their minds with wild wonderment. Had all this been predestined by the ruling goddess of death? Was this war supposed to happen? If so, what now?


End file.
